Act 3. Scene II

SCENE II. The Forum.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS, and a throng of Citizens Citizens We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied.

BRUTUS Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.Cassius, go you into the other street,And part the numbers.Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here;Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;And public reasons shall be renderedOf Caesar's death.

First Citizen I will hear Brutus speak.

Second Citizen I will hear Cassius; and compare their reasons,When severally we hear them rendered.

Exit CASSIUS, with some of the Citizens. BRUTUS goes into the pulpit

Third Citizen The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!

BRUTUS Be patient till the last.Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for mycause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe mefor mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, thatyou may believe: censure me in your wisdom, andawake your senses, that you may the better judge.If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend ofCaesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesarwas no less than his. If then that friend demandwhy Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer:--Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I lovedRome more. Had you rather Caesar were living anddie all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to liveall free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he wasvaliant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, Islew him. There is tears for his love; joy for hisfortune; honour for his valour; and death for hisambition. Who is here so base that would be abondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended.Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? Ifany, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here sovile that will not love his country? If any, speak;for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

All None, Brutus, none.

BRUTUS Then none have I offended. I have done no more toCaesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question ofhis death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory notextenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his offencesenforced, for which he suffered death.

Enter ANTONY and others, with CAESAR's body

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who,though he had no hand in his death, shall receivethe benefit of his dying, a place in thecommonwealth; as which of you shall not? With thisI depart,--that, as I slew my best lover for thegood of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself,when it shall please my country to need my death.

All Live, Brutus! live, live!

First Citizen Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

Second Citizen Give him a statue with his ancestors.

Third Citizen Let him be Caesar.

Fourth Citizen Caesar's better partsShall be crown'd in Brutus.

First Citizen We'll bring him to his houseWith shouts and clamours.

BRUTUS My countrymen,--

Second Citizen Peace, silence! Brutus speaks.

First Citizen Peace, ho!

BRUTUS Good countrymen, let me depart alone,And, for my sake, stay here with Antony:Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his speechTending to Caesar's glories; which Mark Antony,By our permission, is allow'd to make.I do entreat you, not a man depart,Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

Exit

First Citizen Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.

Third Citizen Let him go up into the public chair;We'll hear him. Noble Antony, go up.

ANTONY For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you.

Goes into the pulpit

Fourth Citizen What does he say of Brutus?

Third Citizen He says, for Brutus' sake,He finds himself beholding to us all.

Fourth Citizen 'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.

First Citizen This Caesar was a tyrant.

Third Citizen Nay, that's certain:We are blest that Rome is rid of him.

Second Citizen Peace! let us hear what Antony can say.

ANTONY You gentle Romans,--

Citizens Peace, ho! let us hear him.

ANTONY Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.The evil that men do lives after them;The good is oft interred with their bones;So let it be with Caesar. The noble BrutusHath told you Caesar was ambitious:If it were so, it was a grievous fault,And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest--For Brutus is an honourable man;So are they all, all honourable men--Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.He was my friend, faithful and just to me:But Brutus says he was ambitious;And Brutus is an honourable man.He hath brought many captives home to RomeWhose ransoms did the general coffers fill:Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;And Brutus is an honourable man.You all did see that on the LupercalI thrice presented him a kingly crown,Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;And, sure, he is an honourable man.I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,But here I am to speak what I do know.You all did love him once, not without cause:What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,And I must pause till it come back to me.

First Citizen Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.

Second Citizen If thou consider rightly of the matter,Caesar has had great wrong.

Third Citizen Has he, masters?I fear there will a worse come in his place.

Fourth Citizen Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the crown;Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious.

First Citizen If it be found so, some will dear abide it.

Second Citizen Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping.

Third Citizen There's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony.

Fourth Citizen Now mark him, he begins again to speak.

ANTONY But yesterday the word of Caesar mightHave stood against the world; now lies he there.And none so poor to do him reverence.O masters, if I were disposed to stirYour hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong,Who, you all know, are honourable men:I will not do them wrong; I rather chooseTo wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,Than I will wrong such honourable men.But here's a parchment with the seal of Caesar;I found it in his closet, 'tis his will:Let but the commons hear this testament--Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read--And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's woundsAnd dip their napkins in his sacred blood,Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,And, dying, mention it within their wills,Bequeathing it as a rich legacyUnto their issue.

Fourth Citizen We'll hear the will: read it, Mark Antony.

All The will, the will! we will hear Caesar's will.

ANTONY Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it;It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you.You are not wood, you are not stones, but men;And, being men, bearing the will of Caesar,It will inflame you, it will make you mad:'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs;For, if you should, O, what would come of it!

ANTONY Will you be patient? will you stay awhile?I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it:I fear I wrong the honourable menWhose daggers have stabb'd Caesar; I do fear it.

Fourth Citizen They were traitors: honourable men!

All The will! the testament!

Second Citizen They were villains, murderers: the will! read the will.

ANTONY You will compel me, then, to read the will?Then make a ring about the corpse of Caesar,And let me show you him that made the will.Shall I descend? and will you give me leave?

Several Citizens Come down.

Second Citizen Descend.

Third Citizen You shall have leave.

ANTONY comes down

Fourth Citizen A ring; stand round.

First Citizen Stand from the hearse, stand from the body.

Second Citizen Room for Antony, most noble Antony.

ANTONY Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off.

Several Citizens Stand back; room; bear back.

ANTONY If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.You all do know this mantle: I rememberThe first time ever Caesar put it on;'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent,That day he overcame the Nervii:Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through:See what a rent the envious Casca made:Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,Mark how the blood of Caesar follow'd it,As rushing out of doors, to be resolvedIf Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no;For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel:Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!This was the most unkindest cut of all;For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his mighty heart;And, in his mantle muffling up his face,Even at the base of Pompey's statua,Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us.O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feelThe dint of pity: these are gracious drops.Kind souls, what, weep you when you but beholdOur Caesar's vesture wounded? Look you here,Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.

ANTONY Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you upTo such a sudden flood of mutiny.They that have done this deed are honourable:What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,That made them do it: they are wise and honourable,And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts:I am no orator, as Brutus is;But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,That love my friend; and that they know full wellThat gave me public leave to speak of him:For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;I tell you that which you yourselves do know;Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor poor dumb mouths,And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus,And Brutus Antony, there were an AntonyWould ruffle up your spirits and put a tongueIn every wound of Caesar that should moveThe stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

All We'll mutiny.

First Citizen We'll burn the house of Brutus.

Third Citizen Away, then! come, seek the conspirators.

ANTONY Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me speak.

All Peace, ho! Hear Antony. Most noble Antony!

ANTONY Why, friends, you go to do you know not what:Wherein hath Caesar thus deserved your loves?Alas, you know not: I must tell you then:You have forgot the will I told you of.

All Most true. The will! Let's stay and hear the will.

ANTONY Here is the will, and under Caesar's seal.To every Roman citizen he gives,To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.

Second Citizen Most noble Caesar! We'll revenge his death.

Third Citizen O royal Caesar!

ANTONY Hear me with patience.

All Peace, ho!

ANTONY Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,His private arbours and new-planted orchards,On this side Tiber; he hath left them you,And to your heirs for ever, common pleasures,To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.Here was a Caesar! when comes such another?

First Citizen Never, never. Come, away, away!We'll burn his body in the holy place,And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.Take up the body.

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